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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: cabinet · temple · stock · fall · band · march · board · dip

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. march — the month
  3. stock — goods
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. march — the month
  7. band — a music group
  8. dip — to sink
  9. board — to get on
  10. march — music
  11. fall — to drop
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. fall — to drop
  15. fall — the season
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. board — a committee
  18. stock — shares
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. band — a ring
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. band — a rubber band

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com